Various drop dispensers have been proposed wherein a desired or measured amount of fluid is discharged to a resilient end fitting mounted on the outlet of a container containing the fluid, whereby the measured amount of fluid is dispensed by squeezing the resilient end fitting. While these drop dispensers have been generally satisfactory for their intended purpose, they have been characterized by a certain disadvantage in that when squeezing the resilient end fitting to dispense the measured amount of fluid, such as a medicant, a certain amount of the fluid returns to the container, thereby preventing the user from receiving an exact dose of the dispensed fluid.
After considerable research and experimentation, the drop dispenser of the present invention has been devised to overcome the problem of the fluid returning to the container when the resilient end fitting is squeezed to dispense the fluid.
The drop dispenser of the present invention comprises, essentially, a squeeze bottle having a nozzle or nipple on the outlet of the bottle neck. A sleeve is threadably mounted on the bottle neck, and an apertured closure carrying a spike is mounted on the sleeve. The spike is adapted to seal the nozzle when the sleeve is turned to the closed position. A resilient dosage-receiving fitting having a reservoir compartment or chamber is also mounted on the sleeve and is filled from the bottle by turning the sleeve a limited distance in a direction to move the spiked closure away from the sealed position on the nozzle. A dosage is delivered to the resilient fitting chamber by squeezing the bottle, and the sleeve is turned in the opposite direction to move the spike to the closed or sealed position on the bottle nozzle. The dosage is then dispensed through an outlet aperture in the resilient fitting by squeezing the fitting.
Cooperating stop members are provided between the sleeve and bottle neck to limit the movement of the sleeve relative to the bottle neck.